Severe thunderstorms blow into the Coastal Bend

Motorists turn on their headlights as the skies over Alice go dark from high winds kicking up dust and storm clouds moving through the area Thursday.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

COASTAL BEND - Severe thunderstorms were pounding areas of the Coastal Bend as storms blew inland from the Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Aransas, Bee, Refugio and San Patricio counties from 1:15-2:45 p.m. Winds gusts up to 60 mph were possible.

Coastal Bend College is closing its Kingsville And Alice campuses for the rest of Thursday because of weather, public relations officer Adrian Jackson said in a statement. All evening classes are canceled, and the campus is expected to reopen Friday.

Another band of rain and winds between 35-45 mph were expected in Nueces, Jim Wells, Live Oak and Kleberg counties before 3:30 p.m., according to the National Weather Service.

The best chance for rain this week in the Coastal Bend is Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

There is a 20 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms Thursday and Thursday night that increases to 30 percent on Friday. During the morning hours, a front will bring north winds to the area and clear out the chance of rain, making for a warm, sunny weekend.High temperatures approaching 90 degrees instead of the 100-plus degrees of this past weekend are expected.

Sunny skies are expected to remain in the forecast through at least Wednesday.